Moorhead may stop making sandbags

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) -- The city of Moorhead is considering getting out of the sandbag business.

City Manager Michael Redlinger said the city spent nearly half a million dollars preparing for potential flooding for this spring, and most of that was for 50,000 sandbags for some of the 87 homes still left on the Red River.

Some city leaders say that's too much money spent on too few people, the Forum of Fargo reports.

Mayor Mark Voxland said the city has spent about $87 million since 2009 to buy riverfront homes and build up citywide levees to 42{ feet. Voxland said paying for sandbags should fall to homeowners who have declined buyouts.

The City Council mulled the issue at its meeting Monday. Voxland said the city this spring re-used sandbags left over from 2011 to guard against what he called a "mediocre flood" and it was still costly.

"We didn't have to make sandbags, and we didn't have to buy sandbags, and it still cost us almost a half a million dollars," Voxland said. "The 87 folks that are left along the river really are at a point where they have to pony up something and be responsible citizens themselves for having property along the river."

Voxland said the council should consider a policy of waiting until the National Weather Service forecasts a river crest of 42{ feet before it provides sandbags. Councilwoman Nancy Otto agreed, but said the council should consider simply providing bags and sand but not filling the bags.

City Engineer Bob Zimmerman said as the city's floodwall and levee system nears completion, state and federal disaster aid will be harder to come by except in extreme events. Zimmerman said about $14.7 million in work remains before the entire city is protected to 42 feet.

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Information from: The Forum

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